Method of increasing biomass in plants

Abstract

A method of increasing plant biomass, individual plant constituents, and in most cases, increasing rate of plant growth, by the application of certain substituted phenoxytrialkylamines, substituted phenylthiotrialkyamines or dialkylmorpholium halides to plants at very early stages of development and in very low amounts.

Having thus described our invention, we claim: 
     
       1. A method for increasing total plant biomass which comprises applying to a plant immediately prior to or at a time when cell differentiation and growth of the plant or flower buds are great, that is, to the plant seed, to the plant seedling prior to the full expansion of the fourth set of primary leaves, or to trees during a week before or after flower bud swell, a bioregulatory compound in an amount sufficient to increase total biomass, i.e., in an amount sufficient to increase individual constituents of the plant but insufficient to cause harm to the plant, wherein said constituents are selected from the group consisting of protein, lipid, sugar, and essential oil, and wherein said compound is applied in an amount of about 0.005 to 0.3 mg active ingredient per plant seed or seedling or about 1 to 4 grams active ingredient per tree, said compound selected from the group having the structure ##STR5## wherein: X is either oxygen or sulfur, R 1  and R 2  are lower alkyl containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms,   n is an integer from 1 to 3,   R 3  and R 4  are independently hydrogen, chlorine, bromine, iodine, lower alkyl containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkoxy containing from 1 to 6 carbons, or condensed benzene ring, and wherein:   if R 3  and R 4  are 3,5-substituents, then the lower alkyl or alkoxy group contain 3 to 6 carbon atoms; and wherein;   if R 3  is hydrogen, the R 4  must be a 4-substituent, with the proviso that R 4  is other than hydrogen; and   (b) and acid addition salt thereof.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 wherein said group of constituents consists further of fiber. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1 wherein said plant is a cereal grain. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1 wherein said plant is a legume. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 1 where said plant is a citrus tree. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 1 wherein said plant is a vegetable plant. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is 2(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)triethylamine or an acid salt thereof. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is 2-(3,4-dichlorophenoxy)triethylamine or an acid salt thereof. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is 2-(3,4diisopropylphenoxy)triethylamine or an acid salt thereof. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is 2-(2-napthoxy)triethylamine or an acid salt thereof. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is 2-(3,4-dimethylphenoxy)triethylamine or an acid salt thereof. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is 2-(3-methyl, 4-chlorophenoxy)triethylamine or an acid salt thereof. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenoxy)triethylamine or an acid salt thereof. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 1 wherein said bioregulatory compound is applied as an aqueous dispersion. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 1 wherein said bioregulatory compound is applied to the plant more than once.